I can't deal with this fatigue

I diet on between 1700-2000 calories per day and eat a healthy, balanced diet. I lost around 2lbs this week but I find that the longer I diet, the more I feel shaky, tired, and really irritable. I don't know what to do? I can't stand feeling like this but need to lose weight (my body fat is high), but I feel so awful. I dieted for nearly a year a year ago but never had this problem. This sucks....

Replies

  • terijoestoes
    terijoestoes Posts: 205 Member
    You need to spread out your calories through the day. Also I see no fruits and very few veggies. Micro nutrirnts are vital. Things like potassium ward off fatigue
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
    You are not logging your exercise. Have you factored this in to your calories already?
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    How many calories are you netting? Are you eating back exercise calories? SHOULD you be eating back those exercise calories, or is it already factored into your daily allowance?

    Also, since you're eating healthy, do you think you might be in sugar withdrawal?
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
    If you are losing two pounds a week over the course of several weeks, you could up your calories until you only lose one pound a week or until you no longer feel fatigued.

    Though (and this is only my opinion) if you are losing 2 pounds per week on 2000 calories, you may want to see a doctor about possible hyperthyroidism. It will cause you to lose weight quickly but you will feel pretty bad. I don't know what your exercise/activity looks like but unless you are doing some serious activity, that's pretty high (1000 calorie deficit per day so TDEE would be about 3000 per day). If you are doing pretty serious exercise, you might just want to cut back a little on that (or, again, up your calories).
  • minsooky
    minsooky Posts: 59
    You need to spread out your calories through the day. Also I see no fruits and very few veggies. Micro nutrirnts are vital. Things like potassium ward off fatigue

    That's because I'm allergic to most of them.
  • minsooky
    minsooky Posts: 59
    You are not logging your exercise. Have you factored this in to your calories already?

    That's because I don't exercise much, the most I do is walk. My maintenance calories have this already factored in
  • Dulcemami4ever
    Dulcemami4ever Posts: 344 Member
    You seem to be intaking enough calories, but I noticed you don't really eat a lot of veggies and fruit. You should try to eat more greens and natural food. Maybe your body is not getting enough vitamins from the things you are intaking. Try that for a week and see if it changes anything. GL hope you get to feeling better.

    edit: ok you are allergic to them. Which ones are you not allergic to? Are you on supplements?

    Also iron? Get a physical. You might have a deficiency. I don't think it has anything to do with the calories as you are eating alot of them.
  • minsooky
    minsooky Posts: 59
    If you are losing two pounds a week over the course of several weeks, you could up your calories until you only lose one pound a week or until you no longer feel fatigued.

    Though (and this is only my opinion) if you are losing 2 pounds per week on 2000 calories, you may want to see a doctor about possible hyperthyroidism. It will cause you to lose weight quickly but you will feel pretty bad. I don't know what your exercise/activity looks like but unless you are doing some serious activity, that's pretty high (1000 calorie deficit per day so TDEE would be about 3000 per day). If you are doing pretty serious exercise, you might just want to cut back a little on that (or, again, up your calories).

    I spoke too soon because I lost a few pounds this morning, so I actually lost 4lbs this week. Maybe my diet intake is too low. I barely exercise, I'm currently trying to figure out what I can do because my knee is messed up - before that I used to be a weightlifter.
  • dontgobacktosleep
    dontgobacktosleep Posts: 144 Member
    Allergic or not nutrient deficiencies aren't a joke. Your internal chemistry is finely tuned, one imbalance could set off a host of complications. For the most part I get hives if I eat nonorganic. I also grew up surrounded by commercial agriculture, and since age 15 these sensitivities just got stronger, most likely due to overexposure.

    Don't let broscience stand in the way of getting all the information you can. 2000 calories is 2000 calories yes, but with zero nutrients how could you remotely expect to feel good?
  • med2017
    med2017 Posts: 192 Member
    check thyroid, check iron levels and you need to eat healthy, try multivitamin.
    vegetables are good for you so are fruits.

    i wouldnt mess with potassium, its controlled in your body very specifically, there is no need to take it UNLESS specified by your health provider for an electrolyte imbalance.
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    You need to spread out your calories through the day. Also I see no fruits and very few veggies. Micro nutrirnts are vital. Things like potassium ward off fatigue

    That's because I'm allergic to most of them.

    You're allergic to most vegetables? Sorry, that is BS. You don't want to eat them....fine. I don't get enough either in my diet. But I don't go around and say I am allergic:noway:
  • MonicaT1972
    MonicaT1972 Posts: 512
    I recommend 5 small meals a day. Make sure you have protein with every meal. Your carbs should be on the lower end and come from fruits and veggies and only 2-3 whole grain selections a day. It will take about a week or two for your body to adjust to this way of eating but it you do it and stick to it combined with getting a good night's sleep every night you should see a difference in your fatigue.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    If you are losing two pounds a week over the course of several weeks, you could up your calories until you only lose one pound a week or until you no longer feel fatigued.

    Though (and this is only my opinion) if you are losing 2 pounds per week on 2000 calories, you may want to see a doctor about possible hyperthyroidism. It will cause you to lose weight quickly but you will feel pretty bad. I don't know what your exercise/activity looks like but unless you are doing some serious activity, that's pretty high (1000 calorie deficit per day so TDEE would be about 3000 per day). If you are doing pretty serious exercise, you might just want to cut back a little on that (or, again, up your calories).

    I spoke too soon because I lost a few pounds this morning, so I actually lost 4lbs this week. Maybe my diet intake is too low. I barely exercise, I'm currently trying to figure out what I can do because my knee is messed up - before that I used to be a weightlifter.

    You can still do upper body work, rowing, hand cycling (if you have access to a machine). I'd up my calories slowly and see over several weeks if you can stabilize at a more reasonable loss. Losing too fast also puts your hard gained work at risk.

    Figure out which vegetables you can eat, increase those.
  • mumof5
    mumof5 Posts: 328 Member
    are you trying to lose fat or weight - two very different things. you said in your profile that you were a weight lifter - then you mentioned that you dont exercise much??? are you a lifter or not? 4lbs a week is not the right way to drop body fat and gain muscle. i think you need to decide what your goals are and do some more research. if your not feeling well on 2000cals maybe you should see a dr.
  • fausto412
    fausto412 Posts: 100 Member
    You need to spread out your calories through the day. Also I see no fruits and very few veggies. Micro nutrirnts are vital. Things like potassium ward off fatigue

    ^This!!
    I find that my fruit intake between meals and some water keeps hunger away and keeps me from being too hungre for my 3 main meals.
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    My first thought when I looked at your diary is that maybe you are having some hypoglycemia issues. This could be resolved by avoiding simple sugars (like in yogurt), eating smaller meals more frequently, and getting some consistent light exercise like walking. I had hypoglycemia issues when I was a teenager and that's what worked for me.

    You could track your food somewhere that also logs all the micronutrients like nutritiondata.self.com, to see if you are chronically low on any specific nutrients.

    Honestly, though, since you might be having blood sugar, thyroid, or anemia issues, if it's within your means to see a nutritionist and get some bloodwork done it would be worthwhile.
  • rustmary714
    rustmary714 Posts: 7 Member
    I don't love fruits and veggies either, but last week I ate a romaine salad for lunch with an apple and munched on baby carrots and I actually felt better in about 4 days! Then I stopped and started on junk again and gained 4 lbs!!!!!! I am going to start eating a lot cleaner today and really try to stick with it, once you do it for awhile I think it gets easier!!! I feel terrible with the extra bloat from junk food!!!! I have been trying to do at least 3 sets of 10 squats a day and 3 sets of upper body with light weights and add a little more at a time. Good luck and don't give up!!!!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    You need to spread out your calories through the day. Also I see no fruits and very few veggies. Micro nutrirnts are vital. Things like potassium ward off fatigue

    That's because I'm allergic to most of them.

    You're allergic to most vegetables? Sorry, that is BS. You don't want to eat them....fine. I don't get enough either in my diet. But I don't go around and say I am allergic:noway:

    Ummm you can be allergic to fruits and veggies. A person i work with is very allergic to stuff like strawberries and several other onea. So its definitely possible.
  • karaks
    karaks Posts: 108 Member

    Ummm you can be allergic to fruits and veggies. A person i work with is very allergic to stuff like strawberries and several other onea. So its definitely possible.

    I have to agree with this. When my sister was in her 20's, she started developing horrible hives. She had never been allergic to anything before. She went to an allergy doc and they tested 100 different things. She was allergic to something like 80 of them. A good majority of them were different types of fruits and vegetables. The doctor said it's not very common, but it does happen.
  • bfbooty
    bfbooty Posts: 189 Member
    You need to spread out your calories through the day. Also I see no fruits and very few veggies. Micro nutrirnts are vital. Things like potassium ward off fatigue

    That's because I'm allergic to most of them.

    You're allergic to most vegetables? Sorry, that is BS. You don't want to eat them....fine. I don't get enough either in my diet. But I don't go around and say I am allergic:noway:

    Ummm you can be allergic to fruits and veggies. A person i work with is very allergic to stuff like strawberries and several other onea. So its definitely possible.

    it is possible to be allergic to fruits and veggies and lots of other things, i know someone who is allergic to sooooo many things their diet is so restricted it's crazy in fact i think there are only 2 veggies that can eat carrots and something else can't remember the other, they were diagnosed with sever food allergies as a child.

    I haven't looked at your diary and it looks like you have been given some good advice already regarding spreading out your cals e.t.c, due to the fact you don't eat a lot of fruit and veggies it could be possible you are lacking in something, have your tried a good multivitamin? also i can recommend Bee Pollen for general energy it really is very good i am a sleep deprived mother of 3 and i would be lost without the stuff (google forever living they do a good one along with other really good supplements that might help you)
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    You need to spread out your calories through the day. Also I see no fruits and very few veggies. Micro nutrirnts are vital. Things like potassium ward off fatigue

    That's because I'm allergic to most of them.

    You're allergic to most vegetables? Sorry, that is BS. You don't want to eat them....fine. I don't get enough either in my diet. But I don't go around and say I am allergic:noway:

    Ummm you can be allergic to fruits and veggies. A person i work with is very allergic to stuff like strawberries and several other onea. So its definitely possible.

    You can't be allergic to all or most of them, which is what I said. And I never mentioned fruit, just veggies.
  • minsooky
    minsooky Posts: 59
    Sorry, but if anyone wants to start crap and claim that I just don't want to eat my veggies, do yourself a favor and leave. I used to be a vegetarian but had to quit because I became allergic to all of the foods I ate. I will not engage in a debate over this because frankly, it's stupid and doesn't have to deal with the actual topic. Talking about working on eating specific veggies i'm not allergic to is fine, but arguing that I don't actually have these allergies? Pls go.

    I'm going to go through the past few weeks' intakes and see if I'm low in any nutrients. I know I do well on fiber and trans fat is kept to a minimum, but not sure about everything else. I try to eat lentils more often since I don't eat much veggies
  • minsooky
    minsooky Posts: 59
    nvm, checked potassium and iron with MFP and sometimes I almost get enough iron, but my potassium is like always chronically low. wow! :( it looks like sweet potatoes and lentils might carry more potassium though? think i'll try to eat that more often.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    nvm, checked potassium and iron with MFP and sometimes I almost get enough iron, but my potassium is like always chronically low. wow! :( it looks like sweet potatoes and lentils might carry more potassium though? think i'll try to eat that more often.

    Bananas also have a lot of potassium, if you aren't allergic to those. I found a list online that might help: http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/10-common-foods-with-more-potassium-than-bananas-554715.html

    1. Potato (1,081 mg)

    2. Winter squash (896 mg)

    3. Spinach (839 mg)

    4. Baked beans (752 mg)

    5. Raisins (544 mg)

    6. Avocados (540 mg)

    7. Yogurt, low-fat (531 mg)

    8. Orange juice (496 mg)

    9. Cantaloupe (494 mg)

    10. Tuna (484 mg)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    nvm, checked potassium and iron with MFP and sometimes I almost get enough iron, but my potassium is like always chronically low. wow! :( it looks like sweet potatoes and lentils might carry more potassium though? think i'll try to eat that more often.

    I would definitely try to concentrate on get fruits and veggies that have plenty of magnesium and potassium and even getting enough sodium; all of these are your electrolytes which are critical for energy.

    Btw how much protein are you getting? I didnt get to see your diary before your switched it.